Members of NCP hold a protest against MNS chief Raj Thackeray's comments on playing Hanuman Chalisa near mosques (Express Photo by Ashish Kale) As various political parties started wooing MNS leader Vasant More, a day after he was removed from the post of the party’s Pune unit chief, the party made attempts to pacify the leader to ensure he doesn’t quit right before civic elections.
More, one of the only two corporators of the MNS in PMC, was removed from the post after he refused to heed a call made by party chief Raj Thackeray to play the Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques if the government failed to take action against the use of loudspeakers by mosques. More said that he would not indulge in such an act as a large number of Muslims had voted for him.
Thackeray had then called senior party leaders to his residence in Mumbai and appointed MNS corporator Sainath Babar as the Pune unit chief.
More, who has been a member of the party since it was formed by Thackeray in 2006, was neither invited to the meeting nor informed of the change of guard.
His ouster comes barely a year after he was appointed the city chief by Thackeray, who had praised the development works done by him in his electoral ward and his loyalty to the party. More is the only MNS leader to have been elected for three consecutive terms to the PMC.
The NCP and Shiv Sena were quick to grab the opportunity and offer More – a firebrand leader with a large following in his electoral ward – a place in their party. “The NCP is giving More an open offer to join the party. We will ensure he gets his due importance…,” said city NCP chief Prashant Jagtap.
City Shiv Sena chief Sanjay More also called up the MNS leader and invited him to join the party. “I was called by the city Shiv Sena chief, who said his party would like to induct me. I was informed that the Chief Minister would like to talk to me,” Vasant More said. However, he added, “I am still with the MNS and a staunch follower of Raj Thackeray.”
In attempts to retain the senior leader, senior MNS leaders met More on Friday and conveyed that the party chief will meet him on April 11 in Mumbai. “More is a staunch member of the MNS and has been with the party since its formation. He is a senior leader and will continue with the MNS. Our party chief Raj Thackeray has called him to Mumbai on Monday,” said party leader Rajendra Wagaskar.
A few months ago, MNS lost another firebrand leader, Roopali Patil Thombare, who joined the NCP after alleging that she was deliberately ignored by party leaders. Meanwhile, some local MNS leaders, most of them from the Muslim community, resigned from the party after Thackeray made the call to play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques. According to sources, More has been trying to convince them to remain with the party.
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